Diy Garden Shed
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Diy garden shed: As will be seen from the scale drawings illustrating
this chapter, the doors extend right across the front, and when they are open
the whole of the interior is easily accessible.
Dimensions and General Arrangements. -- The shed is 8 feet
long over all, 5 feet 6 inches high in front, 5 feet high at the back, 3 feet
deep over all, under the roof, which projects 3 inches fore and aft, and 2 inches
at each end. It consists of seven parts: two sides, roof, back, front frame
and doors, and a bottom in two sections.
The frames of the back and front overlap the frames of the sides, to which
they are bolted; and that the covering of the back overlaps the covering of
the sides, which in turn overlaps the front frame.
All corner joints of this diy garden shed are halved. In order to allow the
doors to lie flush with the front of the doorframe uprights, the last must project
the thickness of the door boards beyond the frame longitudinals; and to bring
the front uprights of the sides up against the uprights of the door frame, the
longitudinals
Materials. -- Yellow deal may be selected for the boards;
pitch pine is better, but it costs considerably more. For the frames and non-exposed
parts generally ordinary white deal will suffice.
The scale drawings of this diy garden shed are based on the assumption that
matching of one of the forms shown in picture, and measuring 4 inches (actual)
across, exclusive of the tongue, and 5/8 inch (actual) thick, is used.
The carpenter should let the wood merchant have the specifications, so that
he may provide the material in the most economical lengths. The following is
a rough estimate of the wood required, allowing a sufficient margin for waste:-
4-1/2 (over tongue) by 5/8 inch (actual) yellow match boarding for sides, roof,
back, and doors:
1-1/2 squares = 150 sq. feet. = 450 feet run.
White 4-1/2 by 3/4 inch square-shouldered flooring:
1/4 square = 25 sq. feet. = 75 feet run.
3 by 1-1/2 inch battens = 88 feet run.
4 by 1-1/2 inch battens = 26 feet run.
3 by 2 inch battens = 27 feet run.
5 by 1-1/2 inch battens = 8 feet run.
2 by 1-1/2 inch battens = 21 feet run.
For this diy garden shed there will also be required :-
Twelve 6-inch bolts and nuts.
Two pairs 18-inch cross-garnet hinges.
Two door bolts.
One lock (a good one).
Four yards of roofing felt.
Two gallons of stoprot.
Three lbs. wire-nails
A few dozen 3-inch and I-1/2-inch screws.
Construction of the Diy Garden Shed
The scale drawings are so complete as to dimensions that, assuming the materials
to be of the sizes specified, they may be followed implicitly. It is, of course,
easy to modify the design to suit any slight differences in dimensions; and
to avoid mistakes all the stuff should be gauged carefully beforehand.

The Sides of this diy garden shed. -- When laying out the
frames for these it is necessary to bear in mind that the front upright is somewhat
less than 5 feet 6 inches long, and the back upright rather more than 5 feet,
owing to the slope of the roof, and to the fact that they are set in 2 inches
from the back and front.
To get the lengths and angle of the half-joints right, lay the verticals, which
should be 5 feet 6 inches and 5 feet 1 inch long before trimming, on the floor,
at right angles to the bottom of the frame (2 feet 7-3/4 inches long) and quite
parallel to one another. (We will assume the half-joints to have been made at
the bottom.)
The batten for the top is laid across the ends of the verticals, its top edge
in line with a 5-foot 6-inch mark at a point 2 inches beyond the front vertical,
and with a 5-foot mark 2 inches beyond the back vertical, the distances being
measured perpendicularly from the bottom of the frames produced. The lines for
the joints can then be marked, and the joints cut. The notches for the roof
stays should not be cut till the roof is being fitted.

Use the side frame first made as template for the other.
The shelves are notched at the ends, so that their back faces shall be flush
with the board side of the frame.
Fix the corners with the screws, and plane off the projecting angles of the
uprights.
When putting on the boards, start at the back of the frame. Plane down the
groove edge of the first board until the groove is out of the board, and apply
the board with 1-1/2 inches projecting beyond the frame.
Leave a little spare at each end of every board, and when the side is covered
run a tenonsaw across both ends of all the boards close to the frame, and finish
up with the plane. This is quicker and makes a neater job than cutting each
board to size separately.

The Back of the diy garden shed--When laying out the frame for this, remember
that there is a bevel to be allowed for along the top, and that the height of
the frame at the front must be that of the back of a side frame. The boards
should be cut off to the same slope.
Twenty-four boards should exactly cover the back.
Cut the tongue neatly off that last fixed, and glue it into the groove of
the first board.
The Front of the diy garden shed -- The frame requires careful making. The
3-inch faces of the top and bottom bars are vertical. The upper side of the
top bar is planed off to the angle of the slope.
The Doors of the diy garden shed-- These are the most difficult parts to construct,
as the braces which prevent the front edges dropping must be carefully fitted
in order to do their work properly.
The eleven outside boards of each door are held together by two 4-inch ledges
6 inches away from the ends, and one 5-inch central ledge.
Allow a little "spare" on the boards for truing up. Boards and ledges
having been nailed together, lay a piece of 4 by 1-1/2 inch batten across the
ledges on the line which the braces will take, and mark the ledges accordingly.
Next mark on the batten the ends of the braces.
These project half an inch into the ledges, and terminate on the thrust side
in a nose an inch long, square to the edge of the brace. The obtuse angle is
flush with the edge of the ledge. Cut out the braces, lay them in position on
the ledges, and scratch round the ends.

Chisel out the notches very carefully, working just inside the lines to ensure
the brace making a tight fit. If there is any slackness at either end, the brace
obviously cannot carry the weight of the door until the door has settled slightly,
which is just what should be prevented. Therefore it is worth while taking extra
trouble over this part of the work.
Cautions. --Do not get the nose of the brace too near the end of the ledge.
Nail the boards on specially securely to the ledges near the ends of the braces.
Fitting the Doors. -- The doors should now be laid on the top of the frame
and secured to it by the four hinges. The long ends of these are held by screws
driven through the boards into the bearers; the cross pieces are screwed to
the uprights of the door frame. The doors when closed should make a good but
not tight fit with one another.
Putting the parts together of the diy garden shed.
The two sides, front, and back are now assembled, on a level surface, for drilling
the holes for the bolts which hold them together. The positions of the bolts
will be gathered from the drawings. Get the parts quite square before drilling,
and run the holes through as parallel to the sides as possible. If the bolts
are a bit too long, pack washers between nut and wood until the nut exerts proper
pressure.
Caution.- The hole must not be large enough to allow the square part just under
the head to revolve, for in such a case it would be impossible to screw up the
nut. Its size ought to be such as to require the head to be driven up against
the wood.

The Roof of the diy garden shed -- The boards of this are attached to a frame
which fits closely inside the tops of the sides, back, and front. To get the
fit of the frame correct, it must be made a bit too wide in the first instance,
and then be bevelled off at the front, and the reverse way at the back.
The ends are notched for the stays AA, and the frame then tacked firmly, by
driving nails into the sides, etc., below it, in the position which it will
occupy when the roof is on, except that it projects upwards a little. Cut off
twenty-five boards 3 feet 7 inches long.
Omitting the end ones for the present, lay the remainder up to one another
in order, their ends an equal distance from the frame, and nail to the frame.
Lift off the roof, insert and secure AAAA, and nail on the end boards. Then
rule parallel straight lines 3 feet 6 inches apart across all the boards from
end to end of the roof, and cut along these lines. The roof is replaced after
notches have been cut in the tops of the sides to take AAAA, and secured to
the vertical parts by six bolts.
The Floor of the diy garden shed-- The making of this is so simple a matter
that one need only point out the need for notching the end boards to allow the
floor to touch the sides and back, and the doors when closed. It should be screwed
to the frames, on which it rests, in a few places.
Preserving the Wood. --All outside wood is dressed with stoprot or creosote,
rubbed well into the joints of the boarding.
Felting the Roof of the diy garden shed -- The felt is cut into 4-foot lengths,
and each length has its ends turned over and nailed to the underside of the
roof. The strips must overlap an inch or two. When the felt is on, dress it
with boiled tar, and sprinkle sand over it while the tar is still liquid.
Fitting. -- The two bolts to hold one door top and bottom and the lock are
now fitted, and a couple of hooks screwed into the door frame clear of the door,
to sling a machine from while it is being cleaned or adjusted.
Mounting the Shed of the diy garden shed -- The shed must be raised a few inches
above the ground, on bricks or other suitable supports. Do not stand it close
to a wall. Air should be able to circulate freely under and all round it.
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